Iranian court bans Instagram

Iran has already banned use of social media web platforms such as Facebook and YouTube.

facebook Instagram apps 370.
(photo credit:REUTERS/Antonio Bronic )

An Iranian court has ruled in favor of banning the online media sharing platform Instagram, citing invasion of privacy, according to a report on Friday by Israel Radio.

Iran has already banned the use of other social media sites such as YouTube, Facebook and Twitter. Many in Iran, however, routinely find indirect ways to access those sites.

When Iran originally blocked access to the video sharing site YouTube in 2006, internet users who tried to connect to site were met with the message, "On the basis of the Islamic Republic of Iran laws, access to this website is not authorized."

In a recent use of such social media sites to protest for civil liberties, Women all over Iran let their hair down and staged a protest by posting pictures of themselves on Facebook without their hijabs, risking imprisonment, among other punishments.

On Wednesday, group of six young Iranians were arrested for appearing in a video cover of Pharrell Williams' song "Happy." Iranian police called their behavior "obscene".

The online video showed the group of men and unveiled women dancing on rooftops in Tehran to Williams' hit song. The detained youths were later released.

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